RAHC Remote Educators (REs)

RAHC Remote Educators (REs) provide support to health professionals (HPs) on their first RAHC placement. This support is to assist the HP with the transition to the remote environment both clinically and culturally.

The Remote Educator contacts the HP prior to their first placement and works out a plan of support that is personalised to the HPs experience. This support may involve using the patient data systems – PCIS or Communicare, using specific medical equipment, making sure the HP knows where and how to resource information and support, using the CARPA manual, and any other processes the HP may be unfamiliar with.

This support may be arranged for up to one week of the HPs placement and is arranged through RAHC in consultation with the Health Service. If you are interested in utilising the support of a RAHC Remote Educator on your placement, please contact the RAHC team.

Terry McMillan

Terry is a Registered Nurse who achieved a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery through Flinders University in Adelaide.

Terry commenced her nursing career as an Enrolled Nurse and completed her degree as a mature aged student where she undertook placements in Alice Springs and later returned to complete a graduate program in Midwifery. From her very first placement in Alice Springs, Terry knew she wanted to work rural or remote in the area of Indigenous Health. Since 2003 Terry has spent most of her time working either rural or remote in South Australia, Northern Territory or Western Australia.

Today, Terry's role as a Remote Educator involves offering support, guidance and advice to any Remote Nurse commencing their first placement, or to those who are relatively new to Remote and who need extra support. She became involved with RAHC to work in the area she really loves -- that being the bush, (remote) and Indigenous Health. Terry feels that all remote nurses can learn from each other and the people that live there and is looking forward to helping others develop their confidence to work remote.

In her spare time Terry enjoys camping, oil painting, photography and meeting new people.

Gawaine Glasby

Gawaine has almost 20 years’ experience as Registered Nurse having graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing from Flinders University in 1999. He has since specialised in Emergency Nursing and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in 2005.

Gawaine’s interest in remote nursing was sparked when he travelled as a young teenager to the Northern Territory (NT) visiting several Centre and the Top End communities. He was drawn to the beauty and rawness of remote Australia and fascinated by the people living on country and observing their ancient culture.

This inspired Gawaine to completing a Graduate Nursing program in Alice Springs, which included a 4-month placement in an Indigenous community, setting the stage for an ongoing love affair with the Northern Territory, the Indigenous culture and its history.

Gawaine joined RAHC’s team of Remote Educators in 2017 and now thrives on igniting the same passion he has for remote nursing to those that are also interested and keen to ‘give it a go’ and move out of their comfort zone. As a Remote Educator, he aims to support and encourage new nurses so that they enjoy their first experience and want to return.

Jillian Macreadie

Jill has been a Registered Nurse for 15 years after graduating from The University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2008. Since then she has gone onto achieve a Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Practice from Flinders University and is currently studying Rural and Isolated Practice Nursing at The University of Queensland. Jill brings a broad range of skills and knowledge to the remote setting including Community and Palliative Care, Surgical nursing and Emergency Department experience.

Jill did her first placement as a Remote Area Nurse in 2010 and absolutely loved it. Since then she has worked all over the Northern Territory, from the desert communities, to the Top End and the Island communities. She has also worked remote in Western and South Australia.

Jill has been working for RAHC as a Remote Educator for the past four years and says, “I love going out with the our new-to-remote nurses. I think it is a positive experience for both of us and it’s great to see how their confidence grows with even a week of support.”

Anna Knight

Anna is a Registered nurse who graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2006 with a Bachelor of Nursing. Since then Anna has had a variety of regional and rural nursing experiences working across four states of Australia.

In 2012 she commenced work as a Remote Area Nurse (RAN) and has never looked back. “When I started working remote, I was fortunate enough to be in a clinic with fantastic Remote Area Nurses who helped me have an amazing experience,” said Anna. By 2014, she joined our RAHC team as a RAN and has since completed over 15 placements in both Top End and Central communities in the Northern Territory (NT).

Anna took on the role of a Remote Educator in 2016 and her experience, knowledge and passion for remote nursing has made her an essential asset to our Remote Educator team. “The role as a Remote Educator gives me the opportunity to help new to remote nurses develop the skills and confidence in remote nursing hopefully resulting in them wanting to return and continue to work in the NT.”

Anna Heisar

Anna is a Registered Nurse who is highly qualified and who has achieved a Master of Health Service Management, Graduate Certificate in Quality Assurance, Graduate Diploma of Administration, Bachelor of Nursing and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.

Anna’s career in nursing has spanned over 40 years where she has worked in midwifery and primary health care in metropolitan health services in Australia and overseas. In the last 7 years Anna has been working as a remote area nurse and remote area midwife in both Central Australia and the Top End.

Born in Italy, Anna trained as a nurse and midwife in the early 1970’s before moving to Australia. Her need to improve English has led to her passion of learning new languages, and she also enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, art and craft including pottery and embroidery, and hosting guests at her bed and breakfast.

What drew Anna to join RAHC was the impressive education program offered to new recruits. Having experienced the program first-hand, Anna was delighted when she was offered the position of Remote Educator in 2014. Anna acknowledges the importance of a good education program to recruit and retain health professionals and create a positive environment for everyone.

Cate Austin

Cate is a Registered Nurse who has achieved a Graduate Diploma of Advanced Nursing (Rural), Masters of Nursing, a Graduate Certificate in Remote Industrial Health and a Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner).

Cate chose a nursing career because she loves the connectedness to other people, and because it was a career that would enable her to live in rural and remote areas. She used her nursing qualifications and experience to work as a registered nurse and a midwife before returning to study a Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner). During completion of the Masters Cate worked in small rural hospitals and remote Indigenous communities, where she appreciated the ability to deliver true holistic care and create valuable relationships with patients and their families.

RAHC was the perfect work solution for Cate, who commenced her first placement in early 2010. Today, Cate’s role is to mentor and support new to remote nurses and to assist in their transition to the remote workplace both culturally and clinically. She endeavours to assist nurses to gain their confidence working in the remote setting, assess and guide their assessment skills, appropriate and optimal use of the available resources and ensure they understand their obligations to cultural sensitivity.

Family is very important to Cate, who also enjoys gardening, reading and walking, which she finds therapeutic when working on placement.

Marg Cooper

Marg began her nursing career at Toowoomba hospital in Queensland working in Emergency, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Administration. In 1994, Marg moved to Barcladine Hospital and took up the position of Director of Nursing (DON). For the next few years, Marg worked as the DON at a number of rural and remote facilities across Queensland.

Marg has also spent a number of years providing relief support in rural and remote Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania, before discovering remote area nursing in the Northern Territory in 2008. In addition to Marg’s nursing qualifications and certifications, Marg has a Bachelor of Business in Health Administration.

Marg joined RAHC as an RN in 2009, and then came on board as an RE in late 2013 bringing to the role a wealth of knowledge and experience. In addition to Marg’s experience in nursing and management, Marg also has a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and a number of years’ experience in providing mentor support through the RCNA (now Australian College of Nursing) for nurses returning to the workforce after time away.

Outside of work, Marg loves to travel, especially around Australia and the Northern Territory. Being based in Toowoomba again after many years living rural and remote, Marg also enjoys the opportunity to spend time with her family, as well as reading, walking and tending to her garden.

Bronwyn Cox

Bronwyn is a Registered Nurse who is highly qualified and who has achieved Post Graduate Certificates in Critical Care (Emergency) and Retrieval Nursing and is also an Advanced Practice Nurse.

Bronwyn was an Enrolled Nurse trained in a country hospital in 1980 and upon completing her Bachelor of Nursing in 2001, she has worked in all areas of the hospital including maternity and theatres. She spent 10 years in Emergency and the last seven as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

When Bronwyn is not remote, she enjoys spending as much time as posisble with her family. She also loves camping and travelling around Australia with her husband and catching up with the chardy aunities (girl friends) when possible.

What drew Bronwyn to RAHC was knowing that after 10 years in Emergency, she wanted to experience a new challenge. She has always had a great deal of respect for medical and nursing staff who work in remote areas and wanted to see if she was up for the challenge. Joining RAHC in 2013, Bronwyn has completed 10 placements with RAHC and embarked on her first Remote Educator placement in February 2015.

Bronwyn says, "for anyone wanting to challenge themselves take a leap of faith and go remote as the only thing holding you back is an irrational fear of the unknown."

Sharon Gibbard

Sharon is a Registered Nurse with a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations. For many years she has worked alongside some of Australia’s most respected Indigenous leaders, in an effort to bring about Reconciliation.

Almost 10 years ago Sharon accompanied Michael Long on his walk to Canberra, his message to the then Prime Minister was ‘where is the love’ for our people? Sharon says “I trust that we are making inroads towards a reconciled Australia, however, whilst Indigenous people are still contracting diseases that we as urban dwellers do not endure, then there is still a way to go”.

Today she uses her experience and nursing skills to support ‘New to Remote’ Nurses during their first placements in Aboriginal communities. “Remote placements are both challenging and rewarding, they offer opportunities which cannot be found in large hospital environments. In my role as a Remote Educator I work closely with Nurses to ensure they have sound assessment skills, know how to utilise the Doctor on call, and if required safely transfer a patient to hospital or to a retrieval service.

Understanding the context of Remote Health and the local programs which operate in communities is vital to providing culturally safe care. In doing so, a RAHC Nurse can look forward to learning about one of the oldest cultures in the world in a supported environment.

Jenny Nolan

Jenny is a Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner who has an impressive career spanning over 40 years.

Jenny brings to her role as Remote Area Nurse and Remote Educator for RAHC extensive experience, having worked mostly in the emergency department. She became a Registered Nurse in 1975 and gained endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner in 2011. Jenny’s first placement with RAHC was in 2011 and she has taken regular short term contracts since then.

It was the positive experience and support received from RAHC which drew Jenny to become a Remote Educator, where she appreciates the opportunity to work with Indigenous people in remote communities of the Northern Territory. Her role is a Remote Educator as part of the RAHC Clinical Team and her aim is to support and encourage new to remote nurses so that they have the best experience.

Jenny enjoys spending time with her family and friends, travelling within Australia and overseas and capturing the beauty of the Northern Territory through her passion of photography.